Researchers in the UK have turned to bacteria in the race to develop new vaccines against deadly diseases. Dr Simon M Cutting, of the Royal Holloway University of London, and colleagues have already successfully immunized mice against tetanus using an orally administered vaccine made from spores of bacteria attached to a part of the toxin produced by the tetanus bacterium. The mice were then given a dose of the tetanus toxin that would normally be fatal - all the mice survived. Cutting believes that his findings provide a "proof of principle" that a new type of vaccine is achievable. The bacterial spores that the vaccine is made from can survive harsh environments, thus meaning that the vaccine can be taken orally and that it does not have to be refrigerated. This should significantly aid vaccination programs in third world and developing countries where refrigeration and dirty needles are major problems. Furthermore having a vaccine in pill form means that it would not have to be administered by a medically trained person.

SOURCE/REFERENCE: Infection and Immunity 2003;71:2810-2818.